Warwick and Lexington Associations are anti-missionary bodies.

NOTE.-An omission was made in the "Concluding Remarks," page 157, of the number of churches and associations. It should read "In the year 1792, in all this part of the country there were only 15 churches, compris. ing 572 members. Now within the same territory there are 27 associations, 512 churches, 395 ordained ministers, 81 licentiates, and 46,496 members."

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Having completed our account of the early history and progress of the Baptist denomination in western New York, we now propose to give separate and connected accounts of the lives of some of the leading ministers in this field of labor. Others, also, would have been given, had the materials been within our reach; but the want of these has caused the omission of some excellent men. We have the authority of the Holy Spirit for recording the labors and services of men of distinguished piety and usefulness. The lives of the saints are a comment on the covenant faithfulness of God, and will be regarded, in ages to come, as illustrating the exceeding riches of his grace. A faithful record of their lives continues to the world the light of their examples; enables them, while dead, yet to speak; and gives them, even when moldering in their graves, an influence which may quicken the zeal and purity of the church, and promote the progress of the gospel. Thus the experience, the examples, and the wisdom, of those who have gone before, are made to shine upon the path of those who succeed them, and thus shed around them the accumulated light of many generations. Yet in the performance of no duty are men more liable to err than in giving the character of departed saints. While endeavoring to illus. trate their virtues, they too frequently cast a veil over their defects, and give but a partial view of their characters. In proportion as defects and depravity are concealed, the power of grace is less conspicuous in the formation of their characters, and in the production of those virtues which stamp them with the likeness of their Divine Master. After making ample allowance for the influence of education, and the general influence of the gospel, in elevating the standard of public morals, there is yet much left to be effected by the Spirit of grace in forming the hearts of men to the love and practice of virtue. And there is undoubtedly no higher display of creative power and glory, than that which is manifested in forming and developing the Christian character. In the following biographical notices we shall aim at strict impartiality; and we trust that the church may be benefited and God glorified by a plain and faithful delineation of the labors and characters of his ser.

vants.

ASHBEL HOSMER.

Eld. ASHBEL HOSMER was born at West Hartford, Conn., April 30, 1758. He was the son of Thomas Hosmer, Esq. At the age of sixteen years he entered the service of his country, in which he received a severe wound. At about thirty years of age he experienced a change of heart, and united with the Baptist church in Canaan, Conn., where he began to improve in public meetings. Thence he removed to Wallingsford, and on the 3d of October, 1792, was set apart to the work of the ministry by solemn ordination. In 1795 he removed to Burlington, N. Y., where he resided several years. During his stay in this place he met with many trials: the people contributed but little to his support; his family was large and expensive; his calls abroad were numerous; he was often reduced to great necessities, which he bore with great fortitude. He afterward removed to Hamilton, from which time his circumstances were greatly improved, and he was in a measure freed from those embarrassments he had long labored under.

He departed this life April 2, 1812, in the 54th year of his age, to the great grief of his family and numerous acquaintance. His death was severely felt by the churches and ministers which had been so often favored with his instructions and advice.

Great and unwearied have been his labors for the promotion of the cause of truth; traveling night and day, in heat and cold, snow and rain, through dismal wilds and unbeaten roads, oftentimes hungry, wet, and cold, without any prospect of pecuniary reward. He came very early into this then infant country, and labored much, with the two or three ministers who came just before him, to propagate the gospel among the new settlers. He was of sound judgment, deep penetration, quick discernment, persevering in his designs, and indefatigable in his pursuits. He attended almost all the associations and councils in this part of the country. He manifested great zeal for the maintenance of real fellowship

among the churches-was exceedingly active in detecting impostors, and in arresting every measure which had a tendency to interrupt the peace and tranquillity of Zion. He died with unshaken confidence in that Redeemer whose cause he so zealously espoused, and whose gospel he preached with fervency. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth; Yea, with the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."

JOEL BUTLER.

Died, at Geneva, Jennings Co., Ind., on the 13th of September, 1822, Eld. JOEL BUTLER, in the 71st year of his age. When the curtain falls at the close of an interesting drama, we sometimes endeavor to recall some of the pleasant sensations which it inspired, by retracing some of its most important scenes. In like manner we derive a kind of pleasure from recounting some of the prominent events in the life of a deceased friend. A short memoir of Eld. Butler may not be uninteresting to his numerous acquaintances and friends.

He was born in Shrewsbury, Mass., on the 31st day of March, 1752. Little is known of him till about the 20th

year of his age, when he moved with his parents from Mas.

sachusetts to Windsor, Vt., at which place he was married to Mabel Thomson, on the 24th of September, 1772. In April, 1777, he was brought to the "knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus," and joined the Presbyterian church in that place. He soon began to have doubts of the propriety of infant baptism, and some other doctrines and practices to which the Presbyterians adhered; and after continuing with them three years, was baptized, and became a member of the Baptist church. He immediately began to improve, by exhortation, &c., and in 1783 he removed to Woodstock, Vt., where the church called him to ordination. He was ordained at Woodstock, June 5, 1785. He continued his ministerial labors in that place and its vicinity for three years, where, it is believed, his ministry was blessed to the salvation of many souls. He then removed to Templeton, Mass., and two years afterwards to New Salem, and thence to Napleton, on the east line of